Sponge type mop with two-part hinged backing plate



E. A. SJOBLOM- July 28, 1953 SPONGE TYPE MOP WITH TWO-PART HINGED BACKING PLATE Filed Jan. 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 28, 1953 E. A. SJOBLOM SPONGE TYPE MOP WITH TWO-PART HINGED BACKING PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 INVENTOR BY fianfl? P ATTORNEYS Patented July 255, 1953 assess? z ts j -i V v SPONGE TYPE MOP WITH TWO-PART i 'HINGED BACKING PLATE Eric Aka Sjiiblom, Koping, Sweden, assignor to Erik Gustaf Backman, Koping, Sweden- Application January 23, 1950, Serial No. 140,108 In Sweden January 25, 1949 invention relates to a'floor mop.

.It. is an objectof the invention to provide a .Jfloor; mop, that can be used without touching the inop'with the hands. I

forming an abutment forthe opposite flap. The

shaft I4 is hingedto'spaced plates l5, l6 firmly connected to a handle I! by bolts, between which plates guide pulleys 9, l and l l are rotatably Another object is to provide a floor mop that 3 arranged and provided with concave grooves.

is securelyattached to the holder. A further object of the invention is to provide a flo ormop that will permit easy compression of themop to remove the cleaning fluid;

,[Over saidguide pulleys asteelwire '8 is run, the ends of which are attached each to its'ow'n free,/'-

end of the compressionle'vers 6 andj/Thesfielwire 3 passes over,a.gui'de member or pulley II A still further objectis to provide a fioor mop on wavsingle afiied actuating 'lver'lfpivotally that easily can be used under low standing fume tures and the like.

These and other objects and advantages are attaimgi by the floor mop of the invention which inits"preferred embodiment includes a compressible sponge removably attached to two pivotable flaps operated by means of a cord and a lever on a swingable handle.

The invention will be more particularly def scribed with reference to the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the floor mop in operating position on a handle;

Fig. 2 is anend elevation of the floor mop with the flaps pivoted to compress the sponge;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the floor mop'in operating position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment ofthe pivotable provision of the flaps;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the same;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the connection of the holder in Fig. l with the handle, and

Fig. 7 is a'fragmentary view of the pivot of Fig. 6 shown from the side.

In the drawings I and 2 indicate two elongated a compression flaps which are pivotably connected by a shaft 14, the opposite long sides of which are provided with projecting plate stripsbent around the shaft [4. The flaps are bent twice transversely, the first bend sloping slightly downwards, whereas the freelong sides of the flaps are bent approximately 90 degrees. -A rubber sponge is held against the under faces of the flaps by a rubber strop or spring 5 arranged longitudinally thereof and provided with hooks introduced into each end of the pivot. The compression of the rubber sponge according to Fig. 2 is effected by compression levers 6 and l firmly attached to the upper face of each flap approximately at the middle thereof, the free ends of said levers extending along or overlap the opposite flap. The flaps areheld in opened position by transversal springs i3 attached at the long sides of each flap, the free ends of said levers connectedby a 'pm [Zjto the handle I1 (Fig. 1).

ReferringtoFig. 2 of the drawings the flaps are shown infolded position, the cleaning fluid squeezed from the sponge being allowed to escape through the apertures shown in Fig. 3 arranged longitudinally in the flaps adjacent thelong edge thereof bent 90 degrees.

The pivotable connection of the flaps may also be established by the embodimentshown in Figs. 4 and 5, the flaps of which are provided with two elongated apertures at the opposite long edges, said apertures being adapted to receive rings 3 connecting the two flaps. Said rings on their upper faces have projecting pins 18 to be connected with the plates [5 and. It by riveting or welding.

In using the floor mop according to the invention the sponge is attached to the flaps I, 2 by means of the spring5. Preferably the sponge is slightly longer than the flaps, so that theprojecting parts serves as a protection at occasional collisions with furnitures and the like. Due to the handle I! it is possible to work with the handle in any'desired position from a vertical to a nearly horizontal position without changing the relative position of the flaps. In order to squeeze the cleaning fluid from the sponge the operating lever i2 is moved upwards and back, the wire 8- running over the guide pulleys 9,10, H actuating the flaps I and 2 to fold them together and at the same time compressing the spongeA. In moving the lever back'to the initial point the flaps are also opened to their initial positions by means of the springs I3.

What I claim is: a I 1. A floor mop comprising a pair of hinged flaps movable to either an opened or closed position, a compressible sponge connected to the underside of said flaps, spring means connected to said flaps and extending transversely thereof wardly and outwardly therefrom to overlap and;

abut the opposite flap when the flaps are in their opened position, an operating handle pivotally connected to said flaps, flexible means connected to the compression levers, andameans carried by said handle-gand operatively connected :to said flexible means .ior rmovingv thelevers toward eachother and the ;flaps f a nd-- sponge to q r their closed position. to compress the sponge.

'- 3. A floor. mopi comprising a .pair. of ,fiaps, a

:hinge pin pivotally connecting. the inner opposed ends of the "f laps so thatotheyzmayi be moved to eitherv an opened or .closed position, a com- :ipressible sponge connected tonthe underside of said;,fla ps' springimeans connected to, said flaps and extending transuerfithereof .for normally maintainingthe flapsand sponge-in their; opened compression lever extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom so as to overlap and abut the opposite flap when the flaps are in their opened position, a pair of spaced plates pivotally connected to said hinge pin, an operating handle connected to said plates above said hinge pin, spaced pulleys-between said plates andjournalled thereto, an actuating member pivotally connected to said handle and having a guide member thereon, and flexible means connected at its ends to said compression levers and passing over said pulleys and guide member so that upon operation of the actuating member the levers 7 moppingposition each.ofe said flaps nhaving'a' v move toward each other and theflaps and sponge 15;-

to'theirclosed position to compress the sponge ERIC AKE SJOBLOM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date ;9 cham' i -?!r. Ja 1 ,1 2,044,075 Jelenf y m June'l6;f "1936 2,251,384 Thomasr i nug fi; 11941 7 a FOREIGN--PATENTS Number Country Y Date 56,684 Norway June 15,1936 1 596,139 Germany -'Apr.'-27,-1934 611.571 'Germany Max:130; 1935 617,197 Germany Aug--14; 1935 

